NATO scrambles fighters as Russia launches major strike on Ukrainian energy targets
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for “maximum pressure” from the international community on Russia after Moscow launched hundreds of drones and missiles into Ukraine overnight into Tuesday morning. critical energy infrastructure.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 71 missiles and 450 unmanned aerial vehicles into the country overnight, of which 38 missiles and 412 unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down or suppressed. The air force said 27 missiles and 31 unmanned aerial vehicles hit 27 locations.
The attack was the largest ever reported by the Ukrainian air force and the largest number of munitions launched in a single night since the night of 27 December.
The number of missiles fired Monday night was also unusually high, the largest total seen in a single night since April 24, according to air force data analyzed by ABC News.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement to Telegram that its forces “carried out a massive attack on Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and energy facilities used in its own interests, as well as on the storage and assembly sites of long-range unmanned aerial vehicles.”
AP – PHOTO: In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, emergency service personnel try to extinguish a fire in a multi-storey apartment building following the Russian attack in Kiev, Ukraine, on February 3, 2026.
In his statement to Telegram, Zelenskyy said that Sumy, Kharkiv, Kiev, Dnipro, Odessa and Vinnytsia regions were attacked, including energy infrastructure and residential buildings. The president said at least nine people have been confirmed injured so far.
“Taking advantage of the coldest days of winter to scare people is more important for Russia than resorting to diplomacy,” Zelenskyy said. he said. “This clearly shows what is needed from partners and what can help. The timely delivery of missiles for air defense systems and the preservation of normal life are our priorities. There will be no end to this war without pressure on Russia.”
“Currently Moscow chooses to escalate terrorism and tension, and therefore maximum pressure is needed,” Zelenskyy said. he added.
Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said that among the targets of the attack were thermal power plants that provide energy to some parts of Kiev, Kharkiv and Dnipro. “The targets were not military. They were purely civilian,” Shmyhal wrote on Telegram.
Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, said the Russian attacks caused “significant” damage to its power plants, making it the “ninth major attack on the company’s thermal power plants since October 2025.”
Alex Babenko/AP – PHOTO: People take shelter in a subway station during the Russian attack on Kiev, Ukraine, on February 3, 2026.
Zelenskyy said the next round of US-Russia-Ukraine talks will start on February 4
DTEK said emergency power outages were implemented in the Dnieper and Darnytsia regions of Kiev. DTEK stated that the energy infrastructure in Odesa was also damaged.
Ukraine’s state energy company Ukrenergo reported “a significant number of power outages in the Kyiv, Kiev, Kharkiv, Vinnytsia and Odesa regions” and attributed it to the “massive” night attack. “Energy facilities were also damaged in several regions,” Ukrenergo wrote on Telegram.
Moscow’s latest attacks come after the end of a brief pause in attacks on energy infrastructure agreed upon by both Moscow and Kiev at the request of US President Donald Trump. Russia said the pause ended Sunday.
This winter, the fourth of Russia’s full-scale invasion, has seen Moscow heavily target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, damaging the national grid and precipitating rolling and prolonged power outages for millions of Ukrainians.
Monday night saw temperatures drop as low as -14 F in some parts of Ukraine.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha claimed on
Gleb Garanich/Reuters – PHOTO: Ukrainian soldiers shoot down a Russian missile during a Russian missile and drone attack on Kiev, Ukraine, February 3, 2026.
Russia, Ukraine and the USA held their first trilateral meeting since the start of the war
Zelenskyy later made the same claim in a post on Telegram. “The Russian military took advantage of the US offer to pause strikes for a short time, not to support diplomacy, but simply to stock up on missiles and wait out the coldest days of the year,” he said.
Russia launches last major strike despite an upcoming round of attacks tripartite peace talks Talks with US and Ukrainian representatives in the United Arab Emirates will resume on Wednesday and continue through Thursday.
“Each such attack by Russia confirms that Moscow’s attitude has not changed: they still rely on war and the destruction of Ukraine and do not take diplomacy seriously,” Zelenskyy said. he said. “The work of our negotiation team will be adjusted accordingly.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited Kiev on Tuesday to meet Zelenskyy and address the Ukrainian parliament. Rutte told Ukrainian representatives that “significant progress has been made” in the US-Ukraine-Russia trilateral talks.
“But Russia continues to attack, as it did last night,” Rutte added. “This shows that they lack seriousness about peace.”
The attack on Monday night prompted NATO warplanes to attack Poland, which borders western Ukraine. The Polish Armed Forces Operational Command said that no violations of the country’s airspace were recorded.
Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters – PHOTO: A police officer carries part of a Russian drone found at the site of an apartment building in Kiev, Ukraine, on February 3, 2026.
Moscow claims Russia set a new record by shooting down 4,300 Ukrainian drones in December
The command said German warplanes and Dutch air defense systems were among the assets put on alert.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said its forces shot down at least 10 Ukrainian drones overnight.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed in a post to Telegram that it had hit several targets in Russian-held areas by Tuesday.
The General Staff said Ukraine’s targets included a drone training and production site in occupied Zaporizhia, a concentration of Russian forces in the Belgorod region on Russia’s western border, and an electronic warfare site in occupied Donetsk.
Nataliia Popova from ABC News Oleksiy PshemyskyiPatrick Reevell and Ellie Kaufman contributed to this report.
